


Precautions

by Elennare



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: DAYDverse, Dumbledore's Army, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-02-23
Updated: 2012-02-23
Packaged: 2017-10-31 15:15:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,325
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/345586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Elennare/pseuds/Elennare
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>How Ravenclaw dealt with the outbreak of Dragon Pox during the Year of Darkness.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Precautions

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the 2009 Holiday Fic Exchange on the daydverse lj community; gift for Misanagi.  
> The DAYDverse belongs to thanfiction.

Rapidly adjusting his tie, Terry glanced over at the bed next to him. Anthony and Stephen had left moments before, but Mike had no need to hurry.

"Are you coming down to the hospital wing now?" Terry inquired.

 

"I might as well, and get breakfast at the same time." Standing up, Mike pulled on his robes and shoes, then cast the modified Bubble-Head Charm he and Terry had devised as a precaution against spreading Dragon Pox among the school. Enveloped in the spell, he made as if to open the door, then winced and released the handle swiftly.

"What on earth…?"

 

Terry raised an eyebrow.

 

_'What's wrong?'_

_'The handle stung me! A new ploy to stop the DA from meeting, maybe?'_

_'A singularly pointless one, since we're not holding meetings currently.  Mais je pense que…'_

Terry reached for the handle and turned it easily, stepping out.

 

 _…cela n'est pas la explication,'_ he continued. "Try stepping into the corridor".

 

Mike attempted to do so, but was stopped by an invisible barrier that seemed to spring up suddenly.

 

"Oh, wonderful". Sarcasm dripped from his voice. "So this is the newest attempt to combat the spread of Dragon Pox."

 

"It would seem so... They have to do something, and the hospital wing is overflowing."

 

"True... but unless they plan on moving all those afflicted into certain dorms, it's not really going to help much; everyone will still be exposed to their dorm-mates."

 

"That, mon ami, would require a display of intelligence well beyond those we have seen from the school administration so far."

 

Since he clearly would not be going anywhere, Mike sank down on to his bed, casting a Shield Charm that saved the curtains from catching fire as he sneezed. He glared at his best friend, who hadn't been able to hide a smirk.

 

 _'You needn't look so smug. I'm sure you won't find it so amusing when_ you're _setting the room on fire.'_

_'Something that isn't going to happen, given that I was inoculated against Dragon Pox, remember?'_

_'It's rather hard to forget while you continue to parade your disgustingly healthy self here.'_

_'Je_ _suis désolé' ._ The expression on Terry's face was hardly remorseful. "I should go. I'll stop by the hospital wing and bring your medicine, and some breakfast. To keep you occupied in the meantime, what do you think would be the best way to prevent passing on the disease within our house? Working with the current conditions, I'm afraid; I highly doubt we could persuade our esteemed headmaster that his chosen course of action may not be the wisest."

 

Mike shook his head. "True... and please don't suggest anything of the sort to anyone sporting red lined robes; it's just the sort of act that would appeal to them as noble and heroic. Now, avoiding contagion within the tower..." Taking parchment and quill, he began scribbling notes, not even looking up as Terry left the dorm.

 

******

 

Terry looked around the common room. It seemed as if most students were there, though it was hard to tell with so many confined to their dorms. This being Ravenclaw, most of those present appeared to be doing homework as normal, though he was sure more Healing related books than usual were being consulted.

 

Glancing down at Mike's notes one more time, he stood up and cleared his throat. Almost at once, his housemates turned to look at him. The authority he held over them, whether DA or not, made him slightly uncomfortable, but he spoke out clearly and concisely.

 

"As you are all aware, a highly contagious strain of Dragon Pox has broken out. Though the measure of confining those infected to their dorms has already been taken, it seems wise to take all precautions we can. First, I would like to know if anyone has been vaccinated."

 

He raised his own hand, and looked around. Icarus and Jennifer were, it seemed, the only others. He nodded.

 

"And those who have already had Dragon Pox?"

 

Several more hands went up as he looked carefully around the room, mentally taking note.

 

"Thank you. We'll have to be responsible for taking care of those afflicted – making sure they receive the correct medication and food, and so on. For the rest, Michael and I have developed a modification of the Bubble-Head Charm that it might be advisable to use when interacting with anyone suffering from the illness, to reduce the risks."

 

Pulling his wand out of his pocket, he demonstrated the spell, careful to speak and gesticulate clearly. It was not a particularly complicated charm, and none of those who had copied him seemed to have any difficulty.

 

Replacing his wand, Terry continued. "Of course, this is not fail-proof, but it may be useful. If anyone has other suggestions, please make them."

 

Tony smiled at him as he sat down. "Nice speech. And that charm could be useful for more than preventing infection".

 

Terry frowned thoughtfully. "I suppose so. Did you never have Dragon Pox?"

 

"No, unfortunately. What about you, Stephen? When did you have it?"

 

"As a child. I was only four, so I don't really remember much about it, but presumably I'm immune now. You'll have to be careful though."

 

Tony nodded, smiling. "Oh, I will be. A green rash and fiery sneezes don't appeal to me much! This - I suppose we could call it Bubble-Body Charm – though, I think it's got potential..."

 

"I think so, but why don't we go up and discuss it with Mike too? I expect he's feeling rather bored." Stephen suggested.

 

"Good idea. You should put the charm to its intended use first, though, Tony" Terry replied.

 

A flick of Tony's wand and a barely voiced incantation saw the young wizard completely encased in a bubble. His voice was strangely distorted as he questioned Terry, then modified the spell so that his hands were left outside the bubble – a change Mike had come up with after realising the charm rendered him incapable of picking anything up.

 

From the look on Mike's face as they came in, he had clearly been intending to pretend to sulk at having been left alone. When Tony came in, though, he burst into uncontrollable laughter at the sight.

 

"Merlin, I hadn't realised how ridiculous that would look until now!" he gasped out.

 

"Glad to be of service in improving your mood" Tony retorted lightly.

 

"Ah yes, that. I'm bored to tears, how could you be so cruel as to leave me alone all day?" The sudden melodramatic intonation made the others laugh, and he pouted. "That's right, just laugh, mock me in my misery! Heartless fiends!"

 

"Indeed, completely  heartless" Terry replied, straight faced.

 

"So heartless, we won't let you in on the discussion over alternative uses of the Bubble-Body Charm, even though we came up here to do so" Stephen added.

 

"I take it all back, you are the best friends a man could ever have, and I am eternally indebted to you" came Mike's answer, coupled with an expression of absolute gratitude.

 

"Can Dragon Pox affect the brain?" Tony wondered out loud.

 

"I doubt it, but it will affect his looks if he doesn't stop scratching the pustules". _'There again, the ladies would probably find them tragically romantic, if you couple them with tales of lonely suffering.'_

_'Mon frère, your tone wounds me! Are you suggesting I don't suffer in loneliness?'_

_'Unless we're delusions, by-products of Dragon Pox, that would hardly seem to be the case.'_

The silent exchange sent both Terry and Mike into further peals of laughter. Tony and Stephen looked at each other, amused but hardly surprised – they had shared a dorm for seven years, after all.

 

Soon, they were deep in discussion of the charm. The necessity of having Shield Charms between Mike and any piece of parchment they used was annoying, as was Tony's distorted voice, but these minor inconveniences were hardly an impediment to Ravenclaws in pursuit of knowledge.

 


End file.
